Japanese Dodder is a parasitic vine that requires a host plant to survive, obtaining its food and water from the host plant. The invasive vine attaches its peg-like roots (called haustoria) to the host plant, climbing and twining until it eventually covers the host plant. The Japanese Dodder vine may appear leafless but actually has small, scale-like leaves. During the summer months, it produces very small, inconspicuous flowers that are pale yellow in color. The fruits are small 2-celled capsules, each containing four, tiny light brown to black seeds; each plant can produce up to 2,000 seeds. This non-native vine can kill its host plant within just a couple of years and is considered invasive in areas of the U.S. where it is found.

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